Here’s a knowledge organizer I’ve created of the most essential terms for the treatment of mental illness in an introductory psychology course. These knowledge organizers are designed to help you identify the most important factual knowledge you need to have in order to engage in the more challenging activities of discussing, writing about, and applying the concepts. If you find … Read More
Psychological Disorders Knowledge Organizer
Here’s a knowledge organizer I’ve created of the most essential terms for psychological disorders in an introductory psychology course. These knowledge organizers are designed to help you identify the most important factual knowledge you need to have in order to engage in the more challenging activities of discussing, writing about, and applying the concepts. If you find these useful or … Read More
Evaluating Medications & Other Biomedical Interventions
In this video I consider the questions that are raised when evaluating pharmaceutical interventions and what they mean for our understanding of mental illness. Next I describe other biomedical interventions for psychological disorders which are not as commonly used and include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), phototherapy, psychosurgery, and deep brain stimulation. Disclaimer: This channel is for educational … Read More
Cognitive Therapy, CBT, & Group Approaches
In this video I describe cognitive therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and group approaches to treatment. I describe the general principles of these approaches and some of the key terms associated with each, along with examples of how these might be applied in treating specific cases. Disclaimer: This channel is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice for … Read More
Types of Treatment: Psychoanalytic, Humanistic, & Behavioral
In this video I describe how treatments can broadly be categorized into biomedical treatments and psychotherapy. Next I explain three approaches to psychotherapy: psychoanalytic, humanistic, and behavioral. I describe the general principles of these approaches and some of the key terms associated with each, along with examples of how these might be applied in treating specific cases. Disclaimer: This channel … Read More
Treatment of Mental Illness
In this video I provide a brief overview of some of the general issues surrounding the treatment of mental illness. These include the goal of treatment, who provides treatment, who receives treatment, and ethical considerations related to treatment. Disclaimer: This channel is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice for the diagnosis or treatment of psychological … Read More
Personality Disorders, Psychopathy, & Sociopathy
In this video I describe the symptoms and prevalence of several disorders in the DSM-5 category of Personality Disorders. I also briefly discuss differences between antisocial personality disorder, psychopathy, and sociopathy and the Psychopathy Checklist created by Robert Hare. The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry – Jon Ronson (Amazon affiliate link) Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of … Read More
On Being Sane in Insane Places – The Rosenhan Study
In this video I discuss David Rosenhan’s well-known study in which pseudo-patients went for psychiatric consultations and described a single symptom of hearing voices. I discuss how this study raised questions about recognition and diagnosis of mental illness, interpretations of personal history or behavior as pathological, and the possible effects of labeling for people diagnosed with a psychological disorder. On … Read More
Coping, Resilience, & Post-Traumatic Growth
In this video I describe traits and techniques associated with coping with stressors. Susanne Kobasa identified commitment, challenge, and control as important factors in understanding hardiness and people who were able to thrive in stressful circumstances. Resilience in the face of adversity also relates to post-traumatic growth, in which people feel that they have been strengthened as a result of … Read More
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD
In this video I briefly describe the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, the people most often affected by it, and research on potential risk factors for the development of PTSD, including hippocampal volume. Gilbertson et al (2002) – Smaller hippocampal volume predicts pathologic vulnerability to psychological trauma: http://www.spl.harvard.edu/archive/sp… Bremner et al (1995) MRI-Based measurement of hippocampal volume in patients with … Read More